Academy & U21s

[KentExile]

Alex Baker on the bench after being injured for 2-3 years.

No Litherland or O'Grady-Macken, so they may be with the first team again

 

 

 

 

Edited December 10 by KentExile

[rigger]

Good to see Pratt is back after injury.

[KentExile]

lost 3-2, Strich & Rhys Doherty for Rovers. 

I did watch the first half and Dunn looked very good, taking the ball off the defence in tight spaces and spraying passes all over

[riverholmes]

National league side, Oldham played a second-string but that did include Rovers old boy, Joe Garner, who scored what was described as a 'brilliant 'goal in a report. I see that Brandon Powell and maybe, Michalski, returned from their loan clubs to play here. For me, if they're on loan, they should stay away. I personally don't feel it helps the stability of the team or the player if they're coming and going. 

It'll be interesting to know how the young side played. It might be the case that the likes of Dunn are fast-tracked as his seniors are out on loan. Though a young side, for me, the worry is that Jack Vale, Connor McBride and Dan Butterworth, for example, were tearing things up at this level (or at least consistently standing out). McBride was even nominated for the PL2 8-man shortlist of players of the season, alongside Cole Palmer and Liam Delap, a few years back. He now competes with Oldham in the National League for Rochdale.

But, of course, they didn't make it - and Vale doesn't look like he will, though injuries have hit him. So, if the current U21s aren't even reaching that level, or even the level of a Sam Burns, Sam Durrant or Dan Pike, it makes you wonder what we're looking at. Some have time on their side, others don't.

Edited December 11 by riverholmes

[Madon]

Sorry if I've missed it but what's happened to Mafoumbi?

[rigger]

16 minutes ago, Madon said:

Sorry if I've missed it but what's happened to Mafoumbi?

He isn't good enough.

[KentExile]

U21s won 4-2 away at Leeds this evening, O'Grady-Macken, Biniek & A.Doherty (2) with the goals

 

Edited December 14 by KentExile

[KentExile]

From the Leeds site, sounds like Biniek had a good game

https://www.leedsunited.com/en/news/u21s-report-leeds-united-2-4-blackburn-rovers

 

[Mashed Potatoes]

3 minutes ago, KentExile said:

From the Leeds site, sounds like Biniek had a good game

https://www.leedsunited.com/en/news/u21s-report-leeds-united-2-4-blackburn-rovers

 

He was 20 in September and I would have thought needs to be in and around the first team squad by the end of the season to be worth holding on to.

[KentExile]

4 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

He was 20 in September and I would have thought needs to be in and around the first team squad by the end of the season to be worth holding on to.

I don't personally see him breaking through here.  He does take a good set piece though

[KentExile]

U18s won 3-1 away at Boro, Boggan & Joseph (2) with the goals

 

Edited December 14 by KentExile

[riverholmes]

5 hours ago, KentExile said:

From the Leeds site, sounds like Biniek had a good game

https://www.leedsunited.com/en/news/u21s-report-leeds-united-2-4-blackburn-rovers

 

Sounds like he may have played as a central forward with some success - though it’s not clear. Hopefully, he’ll get a chance to continue there, if the case, to see what he can do. Generally, as far as I know, he’s been played wide.

Edited December 14 by riverholmes

[KentExile]

3 minutes ago, riverholmes said:

Sounds like he may have played as a central forward with some success. Hopefully, he’ll get a chance to continue there to see what he can do. Generally, as far as I know, he’s been played wide.

I think he has played the last few weeks mostly as a centre forward, rather than in his usual deeper role as a 10.  I am fairly sure he hasn't played wide this season 

Edited December 14 by KentExile

[KentExile]

U18s are away to Sheff Utd this evening.  Apparently Tyjon has been injured recently, although no mention of what the injury is

https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/december/17/preview--sheffield-united-under-18s-v-rovers-under-18s/

 

This article states "Darragh Tuffy's youngsters".  I was under the impression that Ryan Kidd was in charge of the U18s?

 

Kidd's LinkedIn states that he is lead U18 PDP coach https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-kidd-1895366b/?originalSubdomain=uk

Tuffy's LinkedIn states that he has recently (October) changed to be Lead U18 Coach https://www.linkedin.com/in/darragh-tuffy-84819094/

Rovers site states Tuffy is U18s lead coach, and contains no mention of Kidd (pretty sure he used to be included here) https://www.rovers.co.uk/club/staff/

Tuffy was named as the "U18 assistant boss" after the previous game with Sheff Utd was postponed recently https://www.rovers.co.uk/news/2024/december/06/tuffy--we-re-all-gutted/

 

Is Kidd still with us?  Has he moved on?   Or has his role been changed?

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:05 by KentExile

[KentExile]

Live stream on Sheff Utds YouTube, kick off at 7pm

 

Edited Tuesday at 18:23 by KentExile

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Lost 3-2.

[KentExile]

came back from 2-0 down (great equaliser from Vare), but lost late on

 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 minutes ago, KentExile said:

came back from 2-0 down (great equaliser from Vare), but lost late on

 

A bit unlucky really. Their winner was the only save our keeper had to make in the second half. He wasn’t stopping that one though.

[arbitro]

I went to Bamber Bridge last night to see them play Macclesfield and I can't remember having seen a game like it for years. The chances (easy ones at that) missed by both teams was incredible and had the game finished 7-4 to Macclesfield it wouldn't have been a surprise. Macclesfield had ex Rover Tre Pemberton, loanee James Edmondson and of course Robbie Savage as manager. Savage was clearly exasperated at the number of chances they spurned but I was impressed with Edmondson who played as a defensive midfielder in almost a Tronstad role. He was tidy in possession and screened his centre backs with some intelligent positional play.

[KentExile]

 

[riverholmes]

Saw a bit of the early second half, as Rovers U18s made a fight back from 2-0 down, though ultimately dumped out of the FA Youth Cup, again.

I must say, though reportedly much improved compared to the first half, it looked poor. They battled well but defence couldn’t beat the press, so the midfield were all but out of the game.

It reminded me a bit of England in the last Euros, trying haplessly to play out. Though, Rovers forwards had some mobility about them.

Joseph, the big forward, was a threat but to my mind was busy being overly aggressive rather than focusing on his game. Nonetheless, he was the main outlet because of his size and strength.

Based on only a small part of the match but didn’t look too good. 

 

Edited Wednesday at 19:57 by riverholmes

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Mm, I only saw the second half as well but Joseph’s body language looked poor to me. He looked like he’d had to walk to York to get a game. 
I thought the new throw in rules were a vast improvement. Take it from wherever you like as long as it’s in the correct half of the pitch !

[KentExile]

Disappointing result as U21s lost 2-1 away to QPR in the Premier League Cup

Leonard  scored in the first half from the spot, but hit the bar from a 2nd penalty at the start of the second half before QPR equalised, and then hit the bar again later on from open play just before QPR scored their winner

 

 

Edited Thursday at 20:56 by KentExile

[Mattyblue]

How many different competitions do the U21s play in? Seems to be loads. Totally lost track.

[KentExile]

 

35 minutes ago, Mattyblue said:

How many different competitions do the U21s play in? Seems to be loads. Totally lost track.

 

Off the top of my head

 

League -

Premier League 2 - Next game v Wolves Jan 10th

 

Cups -

Premier League Cup - Next Game is against PNE Jan 7th

Premier League International Cup - Next Game v Athletic Club 5th Feb

National League Cup - Next Game v Forrest Green 21st Jan

Lancashire Seniors Cup - Next Game v Bolton 18th Feb

Central League Cup - Not sure on this one

 

Having a quick google (which is were the dates have come from), It looks as though they haven't been knocked out of any yet (many are mini leagues like World Cup groups)

 

U18s, U17s, U16s  etc also have their own competitions too

 

 

Edited Friday at 08:32 by KentExile